Voices from the Edge

About the program …

Community dialogue is important. At 8am every Thursday Voices from the Edge lends a KBOO microphone to informed guests you might not hear anywhere else. With an hour to invest, the call-in format engages listeners in meaningful conversations about crucial issues like racial disparity, government accountability, environmental justice and politics on local, state and national levels. Join lively discussions about concerns that are important to you and our community. Together we’ll make Oregon and our nation a better place for a larger number of those living here.

About the host …

Jo Ann Hardesty is Principal Partner at Consult Hardesty. She serves as a subject matter expert on a myriad of issues and is available as a speaker, facilitator and campaign planner. A long-time voice for Portland's under-represented communities and a leader in the struggle against racial and economic injustice, Jo Ann was three times elected to the Oregon legislature and for many years Executive Director of Oregon Action. She’s been called on by the City of Portland to help re-write the City Charter and organizes those on the downside of power to pursue their interests from the local to the federal level. She is particularly committed to leadership development and in holding those in power accountable.

Join the conversation …

Join the conversation every Thursday morning from 8-9 a.m. by calling 503-231-8187. Keep the conversation going after the program at our blog at kboo.fm/voicesfromtheedge.

The Occupy movement is an international protest movement against social and economic inequality, its primary goal being to make the economic and political relations in all societies less vertically hierarchical and more flatly distributed. Local groups often have different focuses, but among the movement's prime concerns deal with how large corporations and the global financial system control the world in a way that disproportionately benefits a minority, undermines democracy, and is unstable. It is part of what Manfred Steger calls the "global justice movement". The first Occupy protest to receive widespread attention was Occupy Wall Street in New York City's Zuccotti Park, which began on 17 September 2011.

On June 26 we first spoke with Latoya Harris who's daughter (9-years old at the time) was handcuffed at her home dressed only in a swimsuit - and days following a playground tiff that had long since been resolved. No case was ever brought, not by a DA, nor by our 'self-defeating police accountability system. I will speak with Latoya's and her daughter to update you on this ongoing story. Portland police Officer David McCarthy and Officer Matthew Huspek, who are assigned to a special police detail at New Columbia, have no business working with kids!

It's summer time in Portland so gangs must be on the rise, as per Chief Mike Reese, Portland Police Bureau. Yesterday Multnomah County Local Public Safety Council released a 500 page report met to make us all afraid that gang activity in Multnomah County is running rampant. I wish we could believe the source of this data but having reviewed the lopsided survey sent out to the public to support this notion its sole goal is to convince the community to volunteer to stop gang violence and pay the cops overtime for gang work. It is the normal public-private partnership where the public law enforcement agencies get resources (up to $200,000 for enforcement activities vs the volunteer community support.

Guest host Dave Mazza speaks with Midge Purcell of the Urban League about their campaign to pass an ordinance to require employers and landlords to remove the box on applications asking about an applicant's previous arrest record or convictions.

They ask if you believe that everyone should have a fair chance for a good job and stable housing?

Have you or someone you know faced job or housing discrimination because of a criminal record?

Portland police Officer David McCarthy and Officer Matthew Huspek, who are assigned to a special police detail at New Columbia, placed a 9-year-old girl in handcuffs last May and took her to police headquarters in downtown Portland to be fingerprinted and photographed in connection with an alleged assault against another girl at a local youth club, according to their police reports.

Join Talilo Marfil and I on Thursday morning for Voices from the Edge as we discuss Hip Hop in Portland and an upcoming Hip Hop Celebration for homeless youth at Pioneer Square. Talilo is an outreach worker with New Avenues for Youth who will discuss his job and why a positive Hip Hop event is so needed. We will discuss the aggressive policing presence and the recent use of the Fire Marshall, excessive police presence and pat downs are used to intimidate black youth who attend. Is Hip Hop illegal in Portland? What can the rest of us do to support our youth in positive activities this summer? Join us from 8-9AM as we dive into this topic. For more information on the upcoming event please follow the Facebook link below.

Join Camron & I tomorrow morning for Voices from the Edge. With many segments of our community shut out of the job market many are turning to starting their own business. Small businesses help drive Portland’s economy in a big way. 95 percent of businesses in Portland employ less than 50 people, and 76 percent employ less than 10. These small businesses deliver essential goods and services across the community. Here are some more big facts about our small businesses: -More than half of Americans own or work for a small business. -Small businesses create 2 out of every 3 new U.S. jobs. -98% of Portland’s neighborhood businesses have 5 or fewer employees. In honor of National Small Business Week I’ve invited Camron Doss, District Director, U.S.

It's lawmakers and lawmen! First, Dave & Jo Anne talked with State Senator Jackie Dingfelder about the challenges facing the legislature and governor. Then they took a look at Police Chief Mike Reese's comments on the rash of recent officer-involved shoots. As always, listeners called in and shared their views.

Jo Ann Bowman is a former state legislator, former executive director of Oregon Action, and a long-time leader in the struggle for racial and economic justice.

Dave Mazza is a freelance journalist and former editor of The Portland Alliance who has covered and been involved in Portland's civil rights, peace, labor and environmental movements for 20 years.

Join Jo Ann and Dave every Thursday as they bring you guests and discussion of issues important to you. Support programming like Voices from the Edge by becoming a member of KBOO today.

It's that time of year, when Jo Ann and Dave review which of our public figures deserve a gift in their stocking and which deserve a lump of coal, such as Senator John McCain for his blind opposition to "don't ask, don't tell"; Governor-elect John Kitzhaber for stonewalling single-payer health care advocates once again; and even closer to home, Portland Police Chief Reese and his public position on participatory democracy.

Listeners called in and shared their holiday list of candidates.

Jo Ann Bowman is a former state legislator, former executive director of Oregon Action, and a long-time leader in the struggle for racial and economic justice.

Dave Mazza is a freelance journalist and former editor of The Portland Alliance who has covered and been involved in Portland's civil rights, peace, labor and environmental movements for 20 years.

Join Jo Ann and Dave every Thursday as they bring you guests and discussion of issues important to you. Support programming like Voices from the Edge by becoming a member of KBOO today.

Open Lines: Callers share what's on their minds about Portland Police and politics.

The conversation doesn't end when the program does. You can join in additional discussion of the week's issue on our blog at kboo.fm/voicesfromtheedge (click on the "blog" tab). You'll find additional information, important links, comments from other listeners and commentary from Jo Ann and Dave. Have a question for our guests, but can't call in during the program? Post your questions on line so we can make them a part of the Voices discussion.

The conversation doesn't end when the program does. You can join in additional discussion of the week's issue on our blog at kboo.fm/voicesfromtheedge (click on the "blog" tab). You'll find additional information, important links, comments from other listeners and commentary from Jo Ann and Dave. Have a question for our guests, but can't call in during the program? Post your questions on line so we can make them a part of the Voices discussion.

The arrest of Mohamed Osman Mohamud is raising troubling legal, political, social and moral questions. This week, Dave and Jo Ann examined the fallout of this incident and how we can move toward real - rather than politically expedient - solutions.

This week Dave hosted open lines. Callers discussed various topics; from police issues to the TSA, to things they give thanks for.

The conversation doesn't end when the program does. You can join in additional discussion of the week's issue on our blog at kboo.fm/voicesfromtheedge (click on the "blog" tab). You'll find additional information, important links, comments from other listeners and commentary from Jo Ann and Dave. Have a question for our guests, but can't call in during the program? Post your questions on line so we can make them a part of the Voices discussion.

Mayor Adams has a new gun control proposal for stopping gang violence. Will this curb gang violence or is the mayor missing the mark?

This week, Jo Ann and Dave look at the new ordinance, as well as speak with gang outreach worker David Miller.

The conversation doesn't end when the program does. You can join in additional discussion of the week's issue on our blog at kboo.fm/voicesfromtheedge (click on the "blog" tab). You'll find additional information, important links, comments from other listeners and commentary from Jo Ann and Dave. Have a question for our guests, but can't call in during the program? Post your questions on line so we can make them a part of the Voices discussion.

Two months after the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision legally ending school segregation, the county engineer of Hillsboro, Ohio - a white man determined to force integration in the segregated town - set fire to Lincoln School, the town's "colored" elementary school. The two-year protest lead by five African American mothers to carry forward the struggle sparked by that fire drew the NAACP's Thurgood Marshall and led to Clemons v. Board of Education the first test case for Brown in the North.

This week, Jo Ann and Dave talked with writer Susan Banyas about her play, The Hillsboro Story, that explores through narration, live music, and movement this important milestone in civil rights history.

The conversation doesn't end when the program does. You can join in additional discussion of the week's issue on our blog at kboo.fm/voicesfromtheedge (click on the "blog" tab). You'll find additional information, important links, comments from other listeners and commentary from Jo Ann and Dave. Have a question for our guests, but can't call in during the program? Post your questions on line so we can make them a part of the Voices discussion.

Comments

I just wanted to post a link to an article about the foreclosure mills that make money off of the forsclosure mess. http://motherjones.com/politics/2010/07/david-stern-djsp-foreclosure-fannie-freddie?page=1

I did not hear an apology for you making a blatant distortion of my comment. I do not appreciate being lied about and especially by a campaign which you obviously are supporting which hypocritically poses as the moral arbitrator of the Universe regarding truth telling.

Again, let me clarify:

First off, I did not say, as was falsely stated by you and your guest, that politicians have a right to lie. I stated that everyone has a right to lie about their love life. That is a vastly different point and I bitterly resent being lied about on this.

This distortion (lie) by your guest and you is sadly emblematic of the hyperbolic nature of this entire pesudo-moralistic campaign.

I will receive your apology before I ever again associate with you or this program.

Will again and please correct your slander of me and misstatement of my comment.

First off, I did not say, as was falsely stated by JoAnn and your caller, that politicians have a right to lie. I stated that everyone has a right to lie about their love life. That is a vastly different point and I bitterly resent being lied about on this.

This distortion (lie) by your guest and JoAnn is emblematic of the hyperbolic nature of this entire pesudo-moralistic campaign.

It is a fact that Republicans involved in this are using this as an organizing tool. It is a fact that this campaign is making common-cause with anti-progressive forces.

It is this campaign that is the divisive force in our community.

This signature campaign is the darling of the right wing. This campaign is the best thing that has happened to the Multnomah Co. Republican Party since Theodore Roosevelt.

If this is about negative campaigning- WHY IS THIS SUCH A THOROUGLY NEGATIVE CAMPGAIGN. IT REDUCES POLITICAL DIALOG TO THE LEVEL OF A GRAMMER SCHOOL PLAYGROUND.

I agree, Peter. This article is germane: One outcome of Professor Gate’s arrest should be an understanding that “What lends legitimacy (to our legal system) is our belief that the police are dutiful servants of the people — not their arbitrary oppressors.”

The Declaration of Independence promptly asserts “… Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the consent of the governed.”

'Know Your Rights' training is imperative, as a 'check and balance' against unwarranted interference with the intent of the U.S. Constitution. An informed citizenry is a Public Good. Vigilance against abuse of power is actually a civic responsibility.

I know first-hand a tendency by Portland police to escalate situations that might be otherwise resolved. I have only an inkling of the mental pressures involved in policing, and but a dim suspicion as to the social handicaps that come with wielding weapons, spending so much time in the milieu of antisocial behavior, of having a community grant your uniformed subgroup status as The Enforcers. I would suspect such pressure, status and lethal equipment make it difficult to appreciate a role of Servant of the People.

Do you know what the common ground may be?

Law enforcement.

How can we change our dialogue so that a person of color, being thrown up against chain link fence – sometimes even without a pretext of wrongdoing – has standing when there is no probable cause that a crime is being committed?

By advocating that police actions adhere to Constitutional provisions for freedom from unwarranted search, to be secure in their possessions; would not this citizen also be involved in law enforcement?

One really ironic point I failed to make on the program is that, from the time of Chief Kroeker onward, it has likely been in the consciousness of Portland Police Bureau command that racial profiling actually inhibits criminal detection and prosecution. Simply the perception of police misconduct reduces the quality of public cooperation. One of the results of racial bias is that it is more difficult to secure leads and eventual witness testimony from a disenfranchised, victimized population of law-abiding citizens.

I suggest there will be a real reduction in crime (due to citizen cooperation) when and if policing is seen to be done lawfully. If it were a shared perception that people who oppose the immoral, unethical and illegal practice of racial profiling had merit as Constitutional law enforcers, I would think this a positive dynamic … and not just for people of color, but other negatively affected groups like the mentally ill, for whom self-advocacy is a supreme challenge.

Let us fuse training and dialogue. You mention the ‘well-trained cop.’ Perhaps ‘Know Your Rights’ training (and Oregon Action training includes de-escalation strategies) might dovetail with Portland Police Bureau training. What would be achieved if police training alerted officers that a segment of the population - fatigued by unconstitutional behavior - will be advocating for just and equitable treatment?

If that segment of the population included Police Commissioner Saltzman, Human Rights Commissioner Fritz, City Auditor Griffin-Valade and Mayor Adams, I think the Police union would find impetus to engage in negotiations for a means to weed out officers refusing to enforce the Constitution, state law, or bureau regulations.

To take up your point about police as public servants, the Auditor’s Independent Police Review Board is poised to actually adopt that frame of reference. Currently specializing in facts and figures, there is a component of their reporting primed and ready for public pressure to make this a prime frame of reference for assessing the Police Bureau’s functionality.

Perhaps better left for another blog, I just want you to know that civilian oversight of armed government activity is imperative as the nation pursues a War on Terror. If the City of Portland were to weigh in on fundamental human rights during the nation’s general expansion of police powers, it stands likely to do a Public Good that cannot now be calculated.

On this morning's (June 18) program Joann mentioned a man (I think she said "young" and "minority" )who is becomming active in environmental matters, I would like to talk with him about joining the planning and implementation of an event that is scheduled to take place on October 24th.

I am a member ot the Peace and Social Concerns Committee of the Multnomah Monthly Meeting of Friends (Quakers), and the organizer of a sub-group called "Global Coolers". We meet monthly and have taken the responsibility of informing the Meeting about global warming and involving them in efforts to lessen our individual and collective destructive impact on the planet.We have also hosted a couple of community events over the past several years.
Yesterday I learned that Bill McKibben, who is a leading activist in the environmental protection movement, is organizing a world-wide demonstration to take place on October 24: it is described on 350.org.
I want to make sure that Portland participates in this event.
I have not talked yet to other environmental activists about involvement (there may already be plans afoot) but I will do so in the next couple of days. In any case I will welcome all participants in the planning and execution of the event. My telephone number is 503-292-1817.
Thank you for your attention.
Peace, Jim

I was disturbed to hear this morning information that leads me to think I did not check out the ballot measures carefully enough. As an intelligent conservative, I find it both important and difficult to listen to KBOO and other left-of-center sources regularly, and the comments this morning made it clear that I should invest more energy into that effort.

On the other hand, I was a bit amused (and relieved of my nascent guilt) when I heard you adamantly insist that Measure 53 passed by a 76-24 margin because a day-old paper said so. It is possible that the Oregonian was that far off the mark - if so, I would assume that it was an early edition which showed very preliminary results. I went to three sources this morning of which two gave vote tallies. KATU.com indicates that as of 8am today the vote on 53 was YES 475,838 and NO 473,912 which is a margin of less than 2000 votes out of nearly 1 million. Rounded to the nearest percent, the vote is 50-50. KOIN.com had very similar (probably identical) numbers.

So I figure that if you let your personal opinions cloud such simple and easily ascertained facts, if you are so closed-minded that you will not double-check this when it is disputed, I need not concern myself with your judgment on the more complex issue of Measure 53 itself.